This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric and scientometric analysis of the scholarly footprint of ChatGPT, focusing on the early outbreak phase from November 2022 to early June 2023. The study aims to understand the evolution of research output, citation patterns, collaborative networks, application domains, and future research directions related to ChatGPT. Using data from the Scopus database, 533 relevant articles were identified for analysis. Key findings include prominent publication venues, influential authors, and countries contributing to ChatGPT research. The analysis reveals a high collaboration rate of 88.91% among authors, highlighting a strong community of researchers working on ChatGPT. The study also examines the application domains of ChatGPT, such as customer support and content generation, and identifies emerging keywords and potential research areas for future exploration. The methodology includes data extraction, bibliometric analysis using various indicators, and visualization techniques such as Sankey diagrams. The findings provide valuable insights into ChatGPT’s early impact in academia and offer guidance for further advancements in the field.This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric and scientometric analysis of the scholarly footprint of ChatGPT, focusing on the early outbreak phase from November 2022 to early June 2023. The study aims to understand the evolution of research output, citation patterns, collaborative networks, application domains, and future research directions related to ChatGPT. Using data from the Scopus database, 533 relevant articles were identified for analysis. Key findings include prominent publication venues, influential authors, and countries contributing to ChatGPT research. The analysis reveals a high collaboration rate of 88.91% among authors, highlighting a strong community of researchers working on ChatGPT. The study also examines the application domains of ChatGPT, such as customer support and content generation, and identifies emerging keywords and potential research areas for future exploration. The methodology includes data extraction, bibliometric analysis using various indicators, and visualization techniques such as Sankey diagrams. The findings provide valuable insights into ChatGPT’s early impact in academia and offer guidance for further advancements in the field.